Selecting device.



E. G. AGRBLL. SELECTIN G DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED 2513.27, 1907. 979,404. K

SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910. v

P'. G. AGRELL.

SELECTING DEVICE.

l APPLICATION FILED 1123.27, 1907. 979,404. f v Patented Dec. 27,191@

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY UNITED srnfrnsirnnr oFFioE.

FRANS G. AGRELL, 0F STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

SELECTING DEVICE.

specification of Lettersratent. Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application led February 27, 1907. Serial No. 359,661.

circuits where the selection is performed by the copcration of electro-magnets.

'One object of my invention is to provide a large number of possible connections with a small number of contacts in a simple de vice. I accomplish this by means of a peculiar arrangement of armatures and cooperating electro-magnets or relays. In the selecting device as herein shown and described the cooperating armatures of four electro-magnets act to move a member into operative position with relation to any other member of a group, the movement of said member being dependent upon the positionsof the armatures of said electro-magnets.

Three of the electro-magnetsare placed in a triangular position and said rst named member is connected to the three armatures by means of universal joints in the corners of said triangle so that the member can swing around several axes passing through these universal joints. As will be 4described later,

seven dierent positions of this member can' be obtained by means of these three electromagnets and the introduction of a fourth electro-magnet enables me to increase said number to fourteen.

A further object of my invention is to provide a selecting device that will engage the desired member without first sweeping over or engaging any others.

The advanta es of a deviceV of this kind are evident. ytais possiblev to select and make an one of fourteen `connections by means o one impulse and by repetition of the impulses an almost unlimited number of connections can be selected without difficult 1 T e device has been designed especially for use inA automatic telephone systems butl is equally well adapted for typewriter telegraphs and similar uses. ln the following specification describing the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention' in a preferred construction for telephone use.

In the accompanying drawings like parts have been given similar reference numbers in the different Views. 4

Figure I is a perspective View Aof a simple form of device employing three fundamental relays and'armatures and a contact maker. Fig. 2 is a top plan view'of a de# vice with an increased numberof contacts showing` the contact maker and the contacts. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the device with the top removed on the line 3-3 in Fig. 4. Fi

4f. is a sectional side elevation substantial y on line 4-t in. Fig.` 3.

Referring now to Fig. 1,'5^, 5B and 5C are 4the three relay coils and 6A, 6B and 6C are their corresponding armatures which may be vpivoted at l3,`to suitable supports. The ar matures have spherical projections 11 which carry the triangular supportB. This support carries a. rod 4f, which in its turn car'- ries the contact member 7. At 1^ to 11" are represented the six fundamental contacts and 2 is another contact adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the rod '4. The contact member and its supporting parts are represented. in their position of rest, that is, when no relay is operated. In this position the member 7 is making no contact. If now oney of the relays, for instance 5A,'operates and attracts its armature 6A the point 11A will be lowered andas a result the triangular support 3 will swing around an' axis that passes through 11B and 11C. The -rod 4 and the contact star i' will now move toward and make contact with the contact spring 1^, givingusthe iirst combination. When the current ceases to dow in relay 5A its armature is restored to its position of restby means of a suitable spring not shown in this figure. lf now relay 5B operates the triang e 3 will swing around an axis passing through 11Av lspring 1C in a likemanner. If relays 5A and 5B are energized simultaneously the triangle will swing around an axis assing ,through 11C and parallel with a line t rough llA and 11B. The star will now make contact with the contact spring 1B when 5A and 5C `are energized simultaneously and with contact spring 1D when 5 and 5C are energized simultaneously. lf all three relays are energized at the Same time the rod 4 will Cfi l and its contact star retain its vertical position but will be lowered and malte contact with the contact spring 2. rIhese seven connections are all that can be obtained with a combination oi' three ordinary relays.

' In the embodiment of my invention as shown in l`igs. Q, 3 and -l`, I have added another relay which when operated turns the Contact star sutiicieiitly so that it when swung)r about. its axis as described will engage another set of seven contacts, which contacts are mai-lied S. ln order to accomplish this result the rod et carrying the star T is mounted so that it can turn in relation to the triangular support 3. lt is, ot course, possible to etlect the change of the relative position of the contact member in other ways, which it is not necessary to describe here as any such modifications of my invention are matters of design.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and et, 14 is a base upon which the device is mounted. The base carries three columns 15 which in turn carry a plate lo that is used as a yoke for the cores 1T ot' the relay coils 5. It also carries an insulated member 1S upon which the contacts l, and l0 are mounted. Upon the base plate are mounted other columns 19, carryingl screw pivots 2t) t'or the relay armatures Q1. Normally these armatures rest against pins Q2 in such a position that the same will be operated by the cores 17 of the relays 5 when encre-ized. The armatures 2l are so positioned iii relation to eachother that the ends 2:3 lie in the corners ot-a regular triangle and the star shaped member 3 is connected to ilieariinituies at said points by means ot' universal joints 2t, which in the drawingsr are shown as adjustable screws with spherical ends 11 which rest in spliei'ical recesses ot' said armatures. Thexmeme ber 3 carries a tube or bushing 25 surrounding the rod l. which carries the star shaped contact uniiiber rl`he rod can be turned in said bushing' afnd ltept iii-its vertical pcsition by means` ot' the collars 2G and 27. cured to rod. The riiie "iti carries a pin QS, the objectY oi" which will be explained later. Upon the base is mounted another relay Q9 which has an armature Il() pivotally mounted between two columns.l 3l. Said armature engages a'rod 32 which is slidably mounted in the columns if@ and il?, and held in its iiormal positioii oiI rest as shown in the drawings by nieans ot the springY ill. in which position it holds the relay armatures 30 away from its core. The other end of said rod Jformed iii such a way that it engages the pin Q9. li the relay Q9 operates its armature toward the center thus turningt the rod -t i T b3 means ot thc pin with i l; said electro-magnets 'being so positioned that in r 2S. as bei'oi'e described in connection Figs. i and 2.

The operation of the device as shouf? i a tri: k turcs so that it inaiY :swing about aiiv one of several i t said meiiibc-rs beine contact when swan will lie attracted and the rod Il? moved in Figs. 2, 23 and Llis similar to that shown in Fig. l and it only remains toniention that the contact i2 in Fig. l corresponds to the4 contact t) and that the relay armatures 6 in Fig. l correspond to the relay armatures 21 in these ligures. It will also be noted that these armatures move upward insteadof downward as in Fig'. l. so that the contact member T will be raised instead of lowere'd when all three Yliui'idamental rela-ys 5 operate, thus makingcontact. with t) if relay 29 does not operate and with Contact l0 if it does operate.

As many changes could beinade in the above construction and many apparently widely ditl'eieiit embodiments of my invention designed without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that allmatter con.-

tained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative merely. of an operative embodiment of my invention and not in a liniiting;- sense.

What I claim is:

l. ln a selecting device, in combination, a group of members each adapted to be ren. dei'ed operative by another' member, a member pivotally mounted upon the armatures of electi'oai'iagnets and adapted to swing aboutsaid pivots, a plurality of electro-magnets each provided with an armature forining a pivotal support for said member, any one oi said electro-magnets being adapted to operate its armature and to swing said member about the pivotal support of another armature causing' .said membe to render any ol the members of said group operative.

2. ln a selecting device, in combination, a plurality ot contacts, a member pivotally mounted upon the armatures of electro-inagiiets and adapted to turn about said pivots, a pl i-ality o" electro-magnets each provided with aii armature forming a pivotal support tor said member, any one of said electroiiiaenets beine' adapted to operate its arinature and io turn said member about the pivotal support of another armature causing .said member to engage one of said contacts, and means ior operating` said device.

Il. in a selectiinr device, in combination, a number oi electro-mannets. armatures operated by said electroaiiagnets. three of said armatures beine' so positioned that correspoiidiirer points upon said armatures form 'l a member attached to said armasaid electro-inaeiiets. armatures of three oiE corresponding points upon said armatures relation to said rst named member, a pluu form a triangle, a member attached tosaid armatures so that it may swing about any one of several axes passing through said points, a contact'making member mounted so as to take several different positions With ralit-y of sets of contacts each set adapted to v be engaged by said Contact making member supported at three points so that it may swmg'around any one of several axes pass- 'ing through said points of support by the movement ofsaid armatures, a Contact mak-'- mg member attached tojsaid first named member so that itnay take several positions with relation to a number of groups of oon- .taets, a number of groups of contacts, each Contact in a group being adapted to be en gaged by the Contact making member when the first named member is swung around a certain axis, and an electro-magnet adapted to change the relative positions of the contact making member Whenthe first named.

member is swung arounda certain axis and an electro-magnet: adapted to change the relative positions of the Contact making member and the groupa of contacts.

Signed at New York in the County of day of Feb. A. D. 1907.-

F. G. AGRELL.

Witnesses: LEWIS J. Doo'LiT'rLE, H. W. FoRsY'rr-I.

Nerv York and State of New York this 11th. i 

